Then & Now: New York State Pavilion 1964 World's Fair

Last week I finally got around to visiting Flushing Meadows Park in Queens NY. Flushing Meadows is the site where both the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs were held. Most of the pavilions were meant to be dismantled so very little remains except for a few traces here and there of the 64 fair.

The Unisphere was the symbol of the fair and still survives. I was taken back at first at how large it really was. I never envisioned it being several stories tall but it was quite amazing.....

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The New York State Pavilion and Observation Towers on the other hand seem to be a different story.... After the fair the "Tent Of Tomorrow" has seen very little use besides a brief stint as a rollerskating rink in the 70s and has shown up in a couple movies (The Wiz and Men In Black). The floor tiles, which were a giant road map of New York State had been left to erode away over the past 4 decades are now covered in dirt and stones to try to protect what is left. Hopefully that is the first sign of new life in the future, especially now that it's a registered historic landmark......

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The colored ceiling tiles were removed sometime in the early 70's but the wire supports still remain....

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Even in it's decaying form it's quite an amazing structure, but it's heartbreaking to see such an iconic landmark left in such state. As far as the rest of the park, there are several fountains left behind that are not being used along with some statues. The Queens Museum Of Art is housed in one of the original 1939 pavilions next to the Unisphere, and holds the breathtaking panorama model of New York City that was on display at the 64 fair. I didn't have time to cross the highway to see the other two remaining buildings which were The Hall Of Science and The Port Authority Heliport (now Terrace On The Park), but that's just more reason to revisit and explore.